Episode 52: Why The "Cena Sucks" Campaign Is Completely Irrational

Cena fans chant "Let's Go Cena!" during his matches while those that aren't fans will shout "Fruity Pebble," "Cena Sucks," or, tonight "We Want Answers."

As weary as I am of the squeaky clean SuperCena character we were constantly getting, I'm more than happy to take it in exchange for the Anti-Cena types to just shut their damn mouths. I have heard it, the WWE friggin' got it. Cena's not champ anymore. The Rock beat him at WrestleMania. I won those bets and soon I'll collect. Cena came out to the ring on WWE: Monday Night Raw after The Rock thanked him for making him fight for that victory last night and then Cena didn't make excuses, he just owned the fact that he lost. He never planned to lose and he explained that.

Leave it up to the Anti-Cena types to drive me, a fence-sitter, off the fence to say the following. I'm not only getting a Rock T-shirt at some point but I'll be grabbing a Cena shirt as well. Nice job!

Personally, I didn't care for John Cena's rapper character even though the guy has some serious skills on the mic. I've witnessed him verbally and very artfully hand a hater his rhyming ass on a silver platter because this kid wanted to rap battle him. It was painful as hell watching this youngster attempt to rap and pathetically so but watching Cena come back was nothing short of great. When Cena shed that image and began just being John Cena, I got it. I understood it. I may not have liked the goofy and rather squeaky clean image of Cena at the time but I let it go. He was one of the good guys and I backed him. Why? Well, he's obviously worked his ass off to get the level of recognition he's earned and I've always backed that sort of work ethic.

When I first encountered the Cena haters, I inquired to one of them as to why such hatred for this guy? The answer that I got at the time was that he had been the one responsible for ending the Hardcore matches. Okay, as someone who loved the hell out of the Attitude Era of the WWE, I have this to offer. Take your Hardcore Champion. If he gets over with the fans then obviously people will pay to see him amongst others but if he's injured and isn't able to come back for several months, those fans may not turn out at the house shows, Raw and SmackDown shows or at the Pay-Per-Views. Your moneymakers have to be able to perform to be moneymakers.

It's not something cooked up in the last few years, this is something that, as a fan, I've wondered about numerous times when the Hardcore matches became more prevalent. With that out the way, here are some other reasons that people hate Cena and keep in mind this is from people who genuinely hate him and I'll address them one by one.

(Source Yahoo Answers Comments Section)

From the user Cena Hater:

everybody hates him because he NEVER LOSES. Its really annoying to see him come in and always "overcome the odds".

Cena hasn't held the title in quite awhile. He lost at WrestleMania 27 against The Miz who DEFENDED the WWE Championship and retained it.

I think the WWE really needs to do something with another superstar other than him for once...i mean other than when he's injured. People don't want to see the same thing over and over again. We like change. Not to mention that Cena does the same 5 moves every time he wins (every match).....1)Shoulder block 2)Shoulder block 3)rotational thrust powerbomb 4)5 knuckle shuffle 5)FU.

CMPunk has held onto the title for awhile. Cena hasn't gone after any championship title that the WWE has to offer as of late and the truth is, that move set isn't always the same. Just last night at WrestleMania 28, he very nearly performed The People's Elbow on The Rock.

HE'S SO ANNOYING and its actually kind of funny too see all the hardcore wrestling fans boo him at PPVs. If your a true wrestling fan, then you HAVE to hate Cena...there's nothing else to it.

Because Cena annoys this particular person, obviously he knows what a "true" wrestling fan thinks and should think. I've heard this "true" argument from so many before. True goth music fans don't listen to anything the radio puts into heavy rotation, true metal fans don't listen to Metallica because they sold out and the list goes on and on ad nauseum. At the rate these splinter factions go, I'm not a true anything. If I MUST hate Cena in order to prove what a wrestling fan I am then I decline to be that because true wrestling fans are a bunch of insufferable know-it-all assholes who also like to do a lot of dictating what to think and how to think it but Cena Hater didn't just stop there...the douche factor goes a bit further

O ya...and hes not a good rapper.........he's white--he needs to realize that

So saying that he can't do something based on the color of his skin? Wow, racism card. Hopefully this guy's not an Eminem fan or his credibility is truly destroyed...worse than what it already is. Let's hear it from another detractor, shall we?

Lady Stephanie and Peter H feel that Cena has been shoved down our throats. That's not entirely true. The World Wrestling Entertainment Corporation is actually a performance-based company as is any other wrestling promotion. The only way you get paid is to get over with the fans one way or the other. That means getting creative and doing some work. Look at Zack Ryder who's career with the WWE was on it's way out the door. What does he do? He puts together Z! True Long Island Story, one of the goofiest things on YouTube ever. If you haven't watched it, I suggest doing so. It may be goofy but it's funny.

Before that, the last time we saw Ryder he was a goof of a villain and a forgettable and irritating one at that but now the guy declares himself Internet Champion (a title that's still undisputed...though would it be wise to even do it by now?) and no bullshit, it gets over with the fans. I can't explain it but it's almost meme status now. Damned near viral. Goes to show you, now that he's on Raw in his own segments and is a rather lovable character, he knew things were at the bottom of the pit (unless he wanted to go to Ohio Valley or FCW developmental Hell) and he got off his butt and did something about it. It worked. Cena has worked and has been called by those he's faced in the ring The Hardest Worker in The WWE. Sure plenty of other guys work their butts off but how many of them are working exhausted, plus giving kids a wish fulfillment through the Make A Wish Foundation, honoring our armed forces, signing hundreds upon thousands of autographs AND STILL doing show after show after show after show? How many extended periods of time has Cena taken off to work on a movie or a side project? Last I checked he was still doing movies, his own CD, writing, interviews and just go down the list, sure those other guys work their asses off but none have come close to the things Cena's done. If you feel like he's being shoved down your throat and he's just not giving others a chance, you're entitled to your opinion but not your facts. NEXT!!!

Popular Consensus: The Year-Long Title Reign

Yeah okay this one doesn't have a single source but many, many of them. This is the only bit of rational thought I've really seen anyone put into this thing. I've seen accusations of "his only fans are teenage girls and gay males" which might make me the first straight male who has now become a fan. Misty's a fan and she's nowhere near teen status soooo....kinda kills that argument. Darth Vader On Christopher Walken's Shoulders...your argument is invalid.

Now back to the title reign. Okay yeah a year is a long damn time to hold the WWE Championship belt. I mean that's pretty amazing. Now it wasn't a year straight. He lost and regained it a few times. Still I can remember old school WCW days when Bill Goldberg was on his Streak. This guy never lost a single match. By the time he faced and defeated Hulk Hogan, this dude had TWO titles which I think he vacated one in favor of the other. Then it began, The Who's Next Campaign. For awhile all of us wanted someone in the WCW...ANYONE to take him down, end The Streak and just bring it to a stop. Kevin Nash did it back in 1998 making Goldberg's Streak a whopping 173...and one. One Hundred And Seventy Three....think about that. One guy per week...even in one year that's only 52 guys...54 if the Monday Nights fall just right but look, 173? Cena hasn't even done that, having one only 65% of his matches. Ultimate Warrior stands on top with his win percentage so let's just calm down, relax and start breathing here. Even I, a hardline Goldberg fan was ready for a new sensation because the novelty of the Goldberg streak had died but it continued for awhile well after I became tired of it. He held the title for most of one year. Know how he did that? By doing everything Vince McMahon told him to do and then doing just about everything Vince asked him to do. People still turned out to see him. They still turn out to see him even if it is to shout that he sucks.

But when faced with the facts, let's revisit the previous little factoid that they love to spew out.

He Can't Wrestle:

Taking a look at Cena's move set, sure it can be pretty predictable based on a chain of moves strung together that just works. Other wrestlers do have to work their asses off to make him look good is yet another argument that I hear that goes hand in hand with this. Ric Flair himself actually said that John Cena is actually not bad in that ring. Let me reiterate Ric Flair, The Nature Boy himself. You know, the guy that's always "Stylin' and Profilin'," comes out to the ring with the theme to 2001: A Space Oddysey playing, the dude that is called The Dirtiest Player In The Game and constantly goes WOOOOO! Yeah, him. Now if you'd like to have a debate with Flair, by all means be my guest but I like eating solid foods and what I've seen backs Flair's opinion. Not to mention, when it comes to toolboxes of moves, Cena's is actually pretty extensive. More so than other wrestlers. So if he's packing all that then how is it that he supposedly can't wrestle?

Conclusion:

As tired as I am of the SuperCena character there are a few facts that absolutely must be faced.

1. The Atttitude Era is OVER AND DONE. It's not coming back and we're not getting a new Stone Cold Steve Austin. We just won't get it back. Those, unfortunately were glory days that we will only have memories of from here on out so make the best of them.

2. It's okay if you don't like a particular wrestler or a group of them. The only thing I ask is that you have at least a logical explanation for it

3. There's no better role model for your kids. This guy stands for never giving up or giving in. He toughs out the bad situations, he takes the wind out of the sails of everyone who has an argument against him and he does it with a style and grace all his own. This is what you should be pointing your kid to.

As for me, even though I am tired of the SuperCena character, I have to say that there is no way I'd deny John Cena the respect he so richly deserves. The rest of ya can ...well...I've got two words for ya...